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CNN World Report

Recent U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan Sparks Resentment in China

Aired April 29, 2001 - 14:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SHIHAB RATTANSI, CNN ANCHOR: But we begin in China, where warning signals are being sent to United States over an offer to sell sophisticated arms to Taiwan. Washington has approved a deal to sell advanced weapons, including submarines and destroyers, to the island that China regards as a renegade province. It's the largest arms deal in a decade to Taiwan.

President George W. Bush says he doesn't expect it to further strain U.S.-Sino relations, but we get China's perspective in this report from CCTV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAN BIN, CCTV REPORTER (voice-over): U.S. Arms sales to Taiwan are always politically sensitive this year, but this year, the Bush administration's decision is even more touchy following the Sino-U.S. plane collision off the coast of China.

LOU YUAN, ACADEMY OF MILITARY SCIENCE (through translator): The biggest characteristic of this package represents a major escalation in U.S. arm sales policies to Taiwan. It has broken the demarcation of defensive weaponry to offensive ones. The submarines are world recognized offensive arms that no previous U.S. government dared to sell.

BIN: Lou Yuan explained that although the Bush administration has put off a decision on Taiwan's request to buy the sophisticated Aegis system, it does not mean it will use caution or restraint in dealing with the Chinese government. China strongly protests any U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and warns it will have a grave impact on Sino- U.S. relations.

ZHANG QIYUE, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN: If the U.S. insists on selling advanced weapons to Taiwan in defiance of China's strong opposition, they will go against the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques. It will seriously violate Chinese sovereignty and interfere with its internal affairs.

BIN: Based on the joint communique between the two countries, the U.S. should have gradually reduced its sale of arms to Taiwan. But arms sales to the island have instead increased each year over the past 20 years, both in quality and quantity.

Although the U.S. supports the one China policy, it also maintains so-called traditional ties with Taiwan, including selling weaponry. This dual foreign policy could give rise to a potential military confrontation across the straits. Experts believe the aggressive policy by the Bush administration aims to use Taiwan as an effective stronghold to constrain the Chinese mainland.

PROFESSOR YAN XUETONG, QINGHUA UNIVERSITY: I think this time, Bush's decision to sell these weapons to Taiwan has a very rigid political meaning, and it means the Bush administration no longer care about the Chinese people's feeling. They have never respected China's security interests.

BIN: Many experts have pointed out that security of the island would not safeguarded by weaponry. On the contrary, arm sales to Taiwan will trigger an arms race across the straits, and the regional situation will become tense, which makes a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue more remote.

(on camera): Among all the differences concerning Sino-U.S. relations, the Taiwan issue is most the important and sensitive. It will take time for U.S. to be aware of the cost of its arms sales behavior, and time to heal new wounds in Sino-U.S. relations.

This is Han Bin of China Central Television for CNN WORLD REPORT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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